Stand By You
by uiytrcgvhbvyi
Summary: Regina is facing some very difficult problems and Emma is there to help. Birthday present for evilxlipxscar. Songfic.
**A/N: This is a birthday present for my lovely friend Anna (hopefully it's okay, I wasn't sure what I could do for you). The song is Stand By You by Rachel Platten (listen to it, it is amazing!)**

 **Disclaimer: I own neither the song nor OUAT.**

* * *

 _Hands, put your empty hands in mine_

 _And scars, show me all the scars you hide_

 _And hey, if your wings are broken_

 _Please take mine so yours can open, too_

 _'Cause I'm gonna stand by you_

Throwing back her head Regina took another swig of vodka directly out of the bottle. She knew she had had enough, her body was flooded with a warm feeling and her head had become so fuzzy she could barely raise the bottle to her lips but she couldn't stop. When she stopped it meant that she had given up, that she was going to let it hurt again, she was going to be weak. Drinking made her numb and once Henry was in bed there was no reason for her not to forget everything, forget the pain. Everything her mother had ever said to her was pushed out of her brain, every reason she was given as a child to think she was not good enough was lost. Instead she was reminded that she was so weak that she could not last the day without drinking, that she most definitely was not good enough. A knock on the door broke through her haze of self-loathing but she was too drunk to try and move from her slumped position on the couch so she made no effort to answer it. She didn't even register the sound of the door opening and closing or the footsteps in the hallway until Emma was right in front of her.

"Regina?" Emma's eyes were wide and her voice was low, she was terrified. She drew back a little to assess the state Regina was in and her eyes landed on the vodka bottle clutched loosely in her hand "Okay I'll be having that"

Regina tried to protest, tightening her grip on the bottle and groaning but soon had to relent and let Emma take the bottle from her and place it on the far end of the coffee table.

"What's going on with you?" the blonde asked, slipping onto the seat next to the intoxicated woman.

"No'in" Regina slurred, turning her back to Emma.

"No. I'm not buying that. Something is wrong, Regina" she reached out and laid a hand on Regina's arm "Please, let me in. Let me help you"

Breathing loudly, Regina hesitated slightly but shook her head "I don' wanna talk"

Emma sighed, knowing that she couldn't force Regina to let her in and making her talk when she didn't want to would certainly do more harm than good "Okay, I'm not going to make you tell me what's wrong. Let's get you to bed then"

Kneeling on the floor next to the bed, Emma brushed Regina's hair out of her face and pulled it into a small ponytail. The other woman was still awake but not lucid enough to perform any task herself. She had placed the bathroom bin next to the bed so that if Regina needed to throw up during the night then she would hopefully not make a lot of mess. A glass of water perched on the nightstand so that Regina's inevitable hangover would not be so bad. Gently, Emma ran a hand across Regina's cheek, wiping away residual tears. A now unconscious Regina sighed and leaned into her touch as if she was craving human affection "Please" Emma whispered to the sleeping form "Please just let me help you"

* * *

 _Oh, tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes_

 _And hurt, I know you're hurting, but so am I_

 _And, love, if your wings are broken_

 _Borrow mine 'til yours can open, too_

 _'Cause I'm gonna stand by you_

Regina legs trembled furiously and she sank to the floor and let the water from the shower wash over her in waves. It ran down her face in rivulets, mingling with her tear and dripped like raindrops onto the cold tiled floor. The scalding water burned down her back but she barely noticed it. She dropped her head between her knees and let her sobs tear through her like a fire through a dry forest. Her eyes began to sting as the water washed the soapy suds from her shampoo into them and she swiped at them with the back of her hand, angry.

Emma woke with her head buzzing from the noise of the shower on the other side of the wall. She blinked sleepily against the glow of the sun through the curtains. Laying her head back against the pillow she smiled and stretched out her arm to find Regina. When her hand grasped at thin air she shot upright searching wildly for her girlfriend. A sob from the bathroom reverberated in her ears and she flung herself out of bed and towards the bathroom. Nudging the door open she slipped in and saw Regina curled in a ball at the bottom of the shower, the water still pounding on her back.

Regina didn't raise her head as Emma shut off the water and wrapped a towel around her shoulders. She pressed her body against Regina's back and enveloped her in a tight hug. Regina continued to shake as Emma held her, strangled sobs rising out of her throat. Neither of them knew how long they sat there for, Emma cuddle Regina until her sobs died down to quiet sniffles.

Curling herself up tighter, Regina pulled the plush blanket Emma had replaced the towel with around her. She felt herself relax into the warm folds of the blanket as the warmth spread through her. Emma came into the room, a steaming mug in her hands, which she placed on the table on Regina's side of the bed.

"I'm sorry" Regina mumbled, not raising her head.

Emma slipped into the bed beside the brunette and wrapped her arms around her like she had done in the shower earlier "Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for babe" she pressed her lips against Regina's shoulder and murmured gently into her skin "You want to talk about it?"

Regina let out a shaky sigh and shook her head slowly "Just … just hold me?"

"Always"

* * *

 _Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through_

 _Yeah, you're all I never knew I needed_

 _And the heart—sometimes it's unclear why it's beating_

 _And, love, if your wings are broken_

 _We can brave through those emotions, too_

 _'Cause I'm gonna stand by you_

 _Oh, truth—I guess truth is what you believe in_

 _And faith—I think faith is having a reason_

 _And I know now, love, if your wings are broken_

 _Borrow mine 'til yours can open, too_

 _'Cause I'm gonna stand by you_

It was thanksgiving. Everyone was sat around a long table in Mary Margaret's apartment. It was heavily laden with food: turkey, all its various trimmings and assorted vegetables. Regina and Emma were sat at one end of the table, opposite each other, with Henry at the head between them. Henry's eyes were bulging as he stared at the food, itching to dig in and see how much food he could fit into his mouth in one go without choking to death. As soon as David had carved the meat he practically pounced on the plate as if he hadn't eaten for 5 years.

"Henry." Emma warned "Slow down or you'll choke"

"Iff fim" Henry mumble through his mouthful, which earned him a reproachful glare from his biological mother.

David chuckled "I used to be exactly the same! Eat like there's no tomorrow, kid"

"Dad" Emma drew out the syllable "You're not helping"

The man raised his eyebrows at his daughter by way of response and settled down to eat his own dinner while Mary Margaret giggled at the pair.

Regina watched this exchange between the Charming family with curious eyes. Her family had always been exceptionally dysfunctional, her mother had always been critical, wanted so much more, and her father had been too weak to stand up to her destructive personality, so she had never been in this sort of situation before. She had never realised how supportive and friendly a family could be – teasing each other; laughing. Regina looked across the table at Emma who had a mouthful of potato and was watching Henry stuff his face like a hawk. A grin caught on her face and spread like a fire, the first time she had smiled in what felt like forever. The way Emma's blue eyes were darting between their son and his now half empty plate made the corners of Regina's lips hike even higher. Her blonde hair was tied in a messy knot at the base of her skull but wisps had escaped from it and were drooping into her face. Regina wanted nothing more than to reach across the table right now and brush the loose tendrils back behind Emma's ears.

"Regina?" Emma asked, her voice coarse in that way she sometimes spoke. Concern was evident in Emma's voice, and hope "You okay?"

Regina had been so absorbed in watching her girlfriend and thinking that she hadn't even noticed her look at her. Her smile widened even more as she gazed directly into Emma's eyes "Yes" and for the first time in a long while Regina felt like maybe she could be happy again.

* * *

 _I'll be your eyes 'til yours can shine_

 _And I'll be your arms, I'll be your steady satellite_

 _And when you can't rise, well, I'll crawl with you on hands and knees_

 _'Cause I... I'm gonna stand by you_

 _Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through (come on)_

 _Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you_

 _Love, you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna stand by you_

 _Even if we can't find heaven, I'm gonna stand by you_

 _Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through Hell with you_

 _Love, you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna stand by you_

 _Love, you're not alone_

 _Oh, I'm gonna stand by you_

 _(even if we can't find heaven, heaven, heaven)_

 _Yeah, I'm gonna stand by you_


End file.
